TEMPLE POLICE, OTHERS ADD SECURITY ENFORCEMENTS AT CITY UNIVERSITIES MONDAY
Temple Police issued a pair of emails to the university community after the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tabacco, Firearms and Explosives discovered a vague threat in a post on 4chan, a popular imageboard website.
Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said the university exercised caution about the threat, which stated a “fellow robot will take up arms against a university near Philadelphia.” The time for the threat to be executed was 2 p.m. Monday EST, the threat read.
Leone added Temple is one of many universities that prepared for the threat. Drexel University’s Public Safety issued a statement to students, faculty and staff, reminding the community about the shooting that occurred at Umpqua Community College in Roseberg, Oregon.
“You’re talking a lot of territories and other universities,” Leone said.
He added Temple Police increased its presence in high traffic areas around Main Campus and encouraged students, faculty and staff to report any suspicious activity.
AlliedBarton was also instructed to help look for “anything suspicious,” Leone added.
The FBI, Philadelphia Police and other law enforcement agencies took notice of the threat and aided in the increase in security in the city Monday, he said.
“Unfortunately, this is the world we’re living in, so we have to be cautious,” Leone said.
-Steve Bohnel
ARMED ROBBERY SOUTHWEST OF MAIN CAMPUS
A 20-year-old man was robbed by four other men early Sunday morning at the intersection of 17th and Jefferson streets.
Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said the complainant, who is not a student, was at the aforementioned location when four men approached him.
One of the men displayed a silver-colored handgun, demanding the man’s belongings, Leone said. The 20-year-old gave the men his cell phone and $26.
Leone added the armed individual was about 5-feet-9 inches tall, and was last seen wearing a light-colored hoodie. The other three suspects were all last seen wearing dark hoodies. All four men appeared to be in their late teens to early 20s, Leone said.
Tipsters should contact Temple Police at 215-204-1234.
–Steve Bohnel
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL PILOTS NEW ‘MIRROR THERAPY’
Dr. Eric Altschuler, an associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the School of Medicine, is conducting a pilot research study that utilizes mirrors to lessen pain in injured veterans, according to a university press release.
“Mirror therapy” uses a mirror to display a reflection of the patient’s healthy limb where the injured limb would be. When the patient moves the healthy limb, the mirror gives the optical illusion of the injured limb moving in tandem. This illusion prompts the brain into believing the injured limb is functioning normally. The therapy can reduce pain and spasms in the injured limb.
The study will focus on combat veterans with complex orthopedic and peripheral nerve injuries, as well as continuous pain and discomfort that inhibits their lives. The study will be held at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland over a span of eight weeks.
Altschuler suspects people with severe injuries may be able to regain mobility and reduce pain and discomfort through therapy, and hopes to apply the results to the civilian population.
-Lian Parsons
HOSPITAL RECEIVES AWARD FOR INCREASED QUALITY
Temple University Hospital was presented with the 2015 Rising Star Award award at the University HealthSystem Consortium Annual Conference 2015 in Orlando, Florida. TUH is one of only three hospitals in the country to earn the award, which honors academic medical centers that have made significant improvements in their annual rankings in UHC’s annual Quality and Accountability Study.
TUH scored in the top 10th percentile in three out of the six performance categories on UHC’s 2015 Quality and Accountability Performance Scorecard, including clinical effectiveness, efficiency and equity of care. TUH was also in the top 25th percentile in the mortality and safety categories. TUH earned a four-star rating out of a maximum of five stars.
“Honors such as the UHC’s 2015 Rising Star Award can only be achieved by physicians and staff who have made a commitment to high-performance healthcare that improves positive patient outcomes through evidence-based care processes,” said TUH President and CEO John Kastanis, said in a press release. “This is the kind of commitment that earns distinction at the national level and will solidify Temple University Hospital’s continued success.
-Lian Parsons
